Windows and the AI Platform Shift
Microsoft’s Build developer conference has a bit of an odd history, which I recounted in a 2016 Update: the conference was born in 2011 as a showcase for a completely new approach to Windows, but by its second iteration it had already become a symbol of corporate infighting and dysfunction. The next three iterations were mostly forgettable in their focus on Windows and Windows Phone. The turning point came in 2017; I wrote in another Update:
Last week was Microsoft’s annual Build developer conference, and as usual, there were two keynotes over two days. What was interesting, and, I think, telling, was the order: for the first six years of the conference the first day’s keynote was dedicated to Windows and other consumer-facing products; day two was for Azure and Office 365. This year, though, the order was the opposite: Wednesday’s keynote was not only about Azure and Office 365, the first 30 minutes in particular were a genuinely compelling statement of vision by CEO Satya Nadella that, much like the schedule, put Windows firmly in the backseat.
This was a step in The End of Windows, which I wrote about a year later: CEO Satya Nadella’s greatest achievement as CEO was transforming Microsoft’s culture away from its Windows-centricity, which, it should be noted, existed for a very good reason. From the conclusion:
